The Russia watchRussian & international law; how to pressure Putin; Russia hacks NCAA XC, and more

House Intel Committee findings contradict Kushner’s testimony (Ryan Goodman. Just Security)
When Jared Kushner read “Finding #32” of the House Intelligence Committee report — drafted by Chairman Devin Nunes and supported by only GOP members of the Committee — he was surely disappointed. That’s because the Committee’s stated conclusion contradicts Kushner’s written statement to Congress concerning the important 9 June meeting with Russians in Trump Tower. The Committee’s finding states that Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and Paul Manafort attended the meeting “where they expected to receive…derogatory information on candidate Clinton from Russian sources.”

Zero shades of grey: Russian-ops violate international law (Steven J. Barela, Just Security)
A lot more is known since January 2017 when I wrote a piece for Just Security arguing that the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election should be interpreted as a violation of international law. We now know that the operation has continued since the election, and that it is a broad, deep and targeted intervention into U.S. society. Recognizing this as an internationally illegal act is important because it provides a legal basis for the use of proportional countermeasures (otherwise illegal actions) to force an immediate cessation of the ongoing campaign—both in cyberspace and in the real world—and to deter any further intrusion. Yet it should also be made clear that concluding the Russian actions violated international law does not provide legal grounds for an armed response; this is not an armed attack.

Putin bids to “subvert, undermine, and influence countries”: U.K. Defense Secretary warns (Daily Mail)
Britain’s Defense Secretary said the world has “entered a new era of warfare” and labelled Russian president Vladimir Putin’s behavior “malign.” Gavin Williamson called the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury a “cold-blooded chemical attack” and said the Kremlin’s response has been to “unleash a tidal wave of smears, lies and mockery”.

‘The ball is very much in the Russian court’ (Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic)
Avoiding another Cold War may require Moscow to change course.

Has Putin overplayed his hand? Russia confronts protests and wrecked diplomacy (Davis Richardson, Observer)
Entering his fourth six-year term as Russian president, Vladimir Putin must now confront the wreckage of past diplomacy and a volatile domestic landscape.

Putin fends off fire and fury, at home and abroad (NPR)
Just a week ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin was basking in an election victory that gave him a strong mandate for another six years in power. But within days of thanking his fellow Russians for handing him nearly 77 percent of the vote, Putin is now dealing with one of the biggest challenges of his 18-year rule.

What really went on at Russia’s Seattle consulate? (Zach Dorfman, Politico)
The closure of the facility could limit military and tech-industry espionage—and leaves Russia with no diplomatic presence on the West Coast.

Who is the Russian-linked Manafort associate at the center of Mueller’s probe? (Alexandra Bolton, The Hill)
The revelation from special counsel Robert Mueller this week that a senior Trump campaign official, Richard Gates, had repeated contact with a business associate suspected of working for Russian intelligence services has so far sparked little outcry from lawmakers. The individual, identified in media reports as Konstantin Kilimnik, is a mysterious figure who was formerly affiliated with a group chaired by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and who for years served as a top associate in Ukraine to Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman.

West vs. Russia: sharp-power struggle in Balkans – region least resilient to fake news (Democracy Digest)
The West is fighting back against Russia in a battle for influence in the Balkans. The latest charge is being led by Britain. Seven years after shutting down in Belgrade, the BBC has reopened its Serbian language service, launching a website and unveiling partnerships with local media outlets to counter pro-Russian media “pumping out fake news stories,” Politico reports. More than 100 Serbian organizations promote friendly ties with Russia, according to a 2016 study by the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies.

How not to pressure Putin (Robert Service, Foreign Policy)
Britain needs strategic patience, not shrill denunciations, to keep Russia in check.

Russian hackers targeted LetsRun.com and Bo Waggoner’s NCAA XC at-large algorithm (LetsRun.com)
LetsRun.com has learned that it was used by Russian hackers to disseminate “fake news” in the run-up to the 2017 NCAA XC championship. A year after trying to destroy Americans faith in the integrity of US elections, the Russians decided they’d turn their attention into trying to destroy America’s faith in its the integrity of its athletic championships and they had their Fancy Bear hackers go after Bo Waggoner’s computer program that is used to predict the NCAA cross country at large teams.